American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama
National Organization for Women, Montgomery Chapter
Planned Parenthood of Alabama
Fetal rights bill includes unnecessary and unacceptable risks
March 1, 2006
MONTGOMERY — House Bill 19, which seeks to penalize criminal acts against pregnant women, will needlessly punish women themselves by undermining the legal foundation of reproductive freedom. The leading cause of death for pregnant women is murder. Violence against pregnant women resulting in the loss of or harm to a pregnancy are criminal acts that should be punished. The Alabama Legislature can achieve that by focusing on the devastating loss or injury to the woman. However, by focusing on the fetus instead of the woman, House Bill 19 will unnecessarily lead to the erosion of reproductive choice.
Alabama lawmakers should be concerned about all aspects of women’s health and lives including access to domestic violence prevention programs, family planning, prenatal care, day care, affordable health care and safe and legal abortion if needed. Proponents of House Bill 19 should go back to the drawing board and develop legislation that will achieve the goal of punishing assaults on pregnant women without chipping away at women’s constitutionally protected rights to reproductive freedom.
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